Freedom 250: IndyCar Races the National Mall
First Race on the Mall.
What Is the Freedom 250?
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., is the inaugural NTT IndyCar Series race held on the streets of the National Mall. It is also a one-time event: organisers have said it will never be repeated. Created by executive order signed by President Trump on January 30, 2026, the race is the centrepiece of the U.S. Semiquincentennial celebrations marking 250 years of American independence. General admission is free. Race day is Sunday, August 23, broadcast live on FOX.
Circuit length
1.66 miles per lap
Turns
7 (tight technical street layout)
Race distance
147 laps, 249.9 miles
Main straight
0.40 miles down Pennsylvania Avenue
Race day broadcast
Sunday Aug 23, FOX and FOX One
Round in 2026 IndyCar season
15 of 18
Admission
Free (general); limited paid grandstand seating also available
Race weekend schedule
- Saturday Aug 22, 09:00 to 10:30 ET: IndyCar Practice 1, live on FS1.
- Saturday Aug 22, 13:00 to 14:30 ET: IndyCar Practice 2, live on FS2.
- Saturday Aug 22, 17:00 to 18:30 ET: IndyCar Qualifying, live on FS2.
- Saturday Aug 22 afternoon: IROC Legends Exhibition. Gordon, Hinchcliffe, Castroneves.
- Sunday Aug 23, 11:30 ET: Pre-race show on FOX with Helio Castroneves, Danica Patrick.
- Sunday Aug 23, 13:00 ET: Freedom 250 Grand Prix, 147 laps, live on FOX.
Championship leader
Alex Palou, 542 points
P2 Kyle Kirkwood
409 points, 133 behind Palou
P3 David Malukas
405 points, 137 behind
P4 Christian Lundgaard
403 points
P5 Pato O'Ward
385 points
Last winner
Marcus Ericsson, Streets of Markham Aug 16
Palou clinches here only if
his lead grows to 163+ after this race
The IROC Exhibition on Saturday brings legends back to the circuit. Former NASCAR Cup champions Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace, and Bill Elliott race alongside IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 champions Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves, and Dario Franchitti, all in identical 1996 to 2006 IROC Pontiac Firebirds. It is the first sanctioned IROC-format race since the series folded in 2006.
Why This Weekend Is Unique
No other race on the 2026 calendar uses anything like this circuit. Pennsylvania Avenue is the widest boulevard the field will race on all season, giving drivers a flat-out blast toward Turn 1 at the Capitol end. But the seven turns that follow are tight street-circuit bends: narrow exits, close barriers, concrete walls with no run-off. Teams will chase a setup that is fast in a straight line yet planted and nimble in the turns. The elevation change is minimal, but the surface shifts between smooth avenue blacktop and older patched side streets, adding tyre management complexity rare for an oval-tuned series.
"This is a one-time-only event, because we are celebrating the country's 250th one time. There will never be another Freedom 250.
"Bud Denker
The circuit passes the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, the U.S. Capitol East Front plaza, and runs directly in front of the Washington Monument. No racing circuit in North American motorsport history has been framed by as many landmarks in a single lap.
